Lincoln has arrived!!!

Lincoln Kevin Kuhlman has finally decided to join his family! He was born Monday morning - 3-30-09 - @ 6:47 AM. He weighed 7 lbs, 4 oz, 20 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great! Monica will do a better job updating her blog when she gets home.

This is her Dad posting for her and not doing to good a job at it. By the way, if Lincoln would have come 6 hr and 48 minutes early, we would have had the same birthday!!

Still waiting . . .

Yes, you read that correctly - we still don't have a baby! I am definitely past my due date, and I am also past the "enjoyment" phase of this pregnancy. Other than the fact that I'm dying to meet Baby Lincoln, I'm really tired of being pregnant. There are still no physical discomforts for me, I'm not having contractions very often, no running to the bathroom every 5 seconds, and I'm not in any pain - I'm lucky this has been such a pleasant experience overall. But now I'm ready! After several meetings with Dr M this week and several reports of little or no progression, we've decided to induce on Monday morning. We met today to discuss any final things we need to know, do, or not do, and I'm finally seeing the light. It seems like a huge weight has been lifted now that we have a set date. Of course, it would be fine if I went into labor on my own before then, but at least I have a deadline.

That's the update for now. I've left instructions for transferring/downloading pictures and how to post them. Hopefully someone (Dad) will be in charge of letting everyone know how we're doing and how cute Lincoln is! Stay tuned!!

Maternity Leave - Day 1

Today was my first day of maternity leave . . . yes, I'm still pregnant! (It was a situation of carried over vacation time that was use it or lose it, so I'm off.) As you know, my official due date is 3-24. I'm not home during the day very often, but I had big expectations for today. Apparently this is what goes on at our house during the day:

They weren't really concerned about me being home. I opened the windows so they could watch the birds, but then they got tired. Without the cats to entertain me, I set out to keep myself busy. Here's what I ended up with:

I walked a total of 6 miles today, spread out over 3 trips. I walked in the morning, after lunch and again with Kevin when he got home from work. If I'm not in labor by tomorrow, I don't know what will work!

39 Weeks

Well, here's the 39 week update: I'm still pregnant! I have made such a lovely home in there, Lincoln doesn't want to come out. I'm not sure why I thought I would have him by now, but I was convinced we wouldn't make it this long. Doc says he weighs a little over 7 pounds now and is head down but not down far enough, and I'm halfway thinned out but just barely dilated. There were two very different reactions after our sonogram and check-up yesterday.

Kevin: "Wow, what a great appointment. Great report from the doctor, and good to know Lincoln is really healthy . . . . and a boy!" (We had them confirm the sex.)

Monica: (in tears) "I can't believe he didn't say I was ready to have the baby. I'm glad he's healthy and all, but can't they take him now? He's going to be so big by next week, and I'm really tired of being pregnant!!" (more tears)

All in all, I am relieved that he's healthy and happy. It is always good to hear that report. We've been walking a lot this week, and I'm doing the stairs quite a bit at work. I hear both of those are helpful in encouraging labor. Of course, I only want him to come when he's ready . . . I just want that to be now! I'm sure this isn't the last time he'll change my plans, right? Here's today's picture. I warned you that I would start slacking on the cute-ness by the end, didn't I? To make up for it, I'm standing in front of Lincoln's super cute crib. Auntie made the nursery decor, and she did an amazing job. (This isn't really the best pic of her work. I'll get right on that.) Eddie and Emmitt have also joined me for this picture. They get to go in the baby's room each day with me and check things out. They're not allowed on the furniture, but they sure like smelling everything.

More later from the (im)patiently waiting Kuhlman Family!

Cry Me A River . . .

I thought I would share some really exciting news with all of my friends and family . . . there were no tears at our house yesterday!!!!! (No, I'm not referring to a baby crying. I haven't had the baby yet!) It seems that pregnancy hormones are the most powerful things in the world and can completely take a person over, rendering you helpless to emotions. I've been keeping track of my meltdowns and I can think of three days out of the last month or so that have been tear-free. Hooray! The book says this is totally normal, and it will take a while to return to regular. That can't come soon enough for me! Kevin has been pretty patient and tried to soothe me with each episode, but he's kind of at a loss. Let me give you an idea of the most recent events: tears of frustration on Wednesday that everyone has a baby but me and mine isn't ready to join us, a complete breakdown after work on Thursday due to a long trying work day and "things to do" stress, Friday brought cries of pain and anxiety when I thought labor was beginning thanks to severe back pain and a few contractions, tears of joy and overwhelming emotion came on Saturday with Samantha while selecting her wedding gown, and finally while running errands on Sunday afternoon, I told Kevin I felt a cry coming on for no reason and I couldn't stop it, so we sat in the Tom Thumb parking lot while I sobbed uncontrollably. Now can you understand the need for celebration after a blubber-free day?!?!

38 weeks!

I'm back to the blogging world after another long break. We've had a lot on our plate with the move, and our internet wasn't hooked up as quickly as I had hoped. But here I am . . . back with an update on Mom and Baby with only two weeks to go. Can you believe that? Eight and a half months ago, I couldn't imagine being this close to meeting my little angel. Eight months ago, it didn't seem as if it would happen. Seven months ago, we hit another glitch and doubt crept in again. Thanks to doctors, medicine, and many prayers, we are about to welcome Lincoln Kevin Kuhlman into our family. It seems that during the majority of the pregnancy, the focus was on the pregnancy. Of course we knew that the ultimate goal was to have a baby, but that wasn't the immediate concern. Pregnancy symptoms and life while pregnant consumed our lives without the direct realization that a baby was really at the end of this. Maybe this is because it takes so long to "grow a human" as I like to say, and we focus on what we can feel in the present instead of the unknown. Now I can officially say that I'm ready. I've washed, dried, folded, hung, organized and re-organized his clothes, towels, sheets, socks, bibs, burp clothes, and blankets. I've tested out toys, practiced in my glider, arranged stuffed animals, and counted diapers. I am definitely ready. Kevin gave a frightened look when I said I'd be happy to deliver next week, but I think he'll be ready too. Dr. M's latest evaluation was good: Mom and Baby are healthy and perfectly on schedule. Lincoln weighs approximately 6 pounds and is head-down but not settled into the pelvis. There is some thinning, but no centimeters yet. My blood pressure is normal, light swelling is only in my feet and I gained just half a pound this week. We got the all clear and see you next week, so we can't ask for a better report.

A few scattered notes:

*One of my favorite things to do these days is remind Kevin (and anyone else who will listen) exactly how long I've been pregnant. 265 days sure is a long time!!! Personally, I'd rather not push the whole 280 days.

*If you haven't received a thank you note from me, I'm back on track. The thank you notes and baby book were temporarily misplaced in the move. We appreciate all the wonderful gifts we've received to help us get started as a family. I'm anxious to properly thank each of you.

*Now that Daylight Savings Time has resumed, you can find us out walking again after work. I lost my walking partner back in November due to the time change, but I've convinced him that the jig is up since daylight is back! I've been going by myself for too long.

*This picture was made after work this evening. Blame the crazy hair on today's incessant rain!

Last Baby Shower!

My last shower was a beautiful and fun event, thanks so much to Marte, Lee Anne, Joanne, Julie, Terah and Reenie! These ladies really went above and beyond to make Lincoln's baby shower amazing. We had a luncheon of chicken salad (the famous Neiman Marcus one!), strawberry spinach salad and fruit salad, along with fabulous desserts of petit fours, brownies, cookies and chocolate covered strawberries. Everyone had fun, and I'm thankful so many could join us. Lincoln got lots of really cool gifts, and we can't wait to try out his new toys and bouncer, model his new clothes and ride in his new strollers and car seat. It won't be long now. Again, thank you to my hostesses (and Scott, Richard and Jimmy) for all of their hard work, patience, and determination. It was perfect! Here are a few pics:

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post . . . we're internet-challenged at our house right now. Of course, that means we're in our new house! I'll have pics of that and Lincoln's room soon. We've made it to over 37 weeks with no major issues, and I'm so thankful for that. Mom and Baby are doing just fine. According to Dr. M, Lincoln is in no hurry to join us! It must be pretty nice in there: I feed him good stuff, we go for nice walks, Mavs games, and shopping, and I make him as comfy as possible. (Maybe he heard that lady at the childbirth class in utero and decided it didn't sound like fun!) More pics later about the house.